Closer Look: Blackbrick in Midtown

The best place to sit at Blackbrick is certainly the kitchen bar. From there, you can watch the 63-year-old chef from Hong Kong stir-fry mustard greens in his red-hot wok. The way he works is soothing — how swiftly he moves and how intently he waits, hands behind his back, while you eat. He hopes for a grin, a murmur, any sign you're enjoying your meal. And when you show him approval, he smiles and little wrinkles form around his black, ebullient eyes.